Entry Recipe: Low-Maintenance Meets Contemporary Curb Appeal in Canada
A neighborhood-appropriate mix of textures and colors invites visitors to linger as they approach
Contemporary details, a free-form pathway and a bright orange door create an inviting entry to this Vancouver, Canada-area home. “We wanted guests to be drawn to the front door, but not too quickly,” homeowner Lonna Peters says. Low-maintenance hardscape and resilient plants ensure the homeowners can savor the space as well.
In this new series, we’ll not only explore a front entry’s design, we’ll also discuss the ingredients — focusing on the approach, the front door, the siding and the overhang. Here’s this entry’s recipe.
In this new series, we’ll not only explore a front entry’s design, we’ll also discuss the ingredients — focusing on the approach, the front door, the siding and the overhang. Here’s this entry’s recipe.
The Recipe
Approach: Poured-in-place unstained concrete pavers and loose stone lead from a driveway of the same material to the front door and front seating area. Designed more as an entry plaza than a direct route, the path invites visitors to meander on their way in. “Because the walk to the front door is not straight, visitors slow down to take in the details,” Peters says.
Each concrete paver is 4 feet long, with widths varying from 5 feet 6 inches to 10 feet 6 inches. The pavers were sealed to protect them from oil drips and surface dirt. Washed round river rock approximately 2 inches in diameter fills 4-inch gaps between the pavers. The concrete pad in front of the front door is 7 feet 3 inches wide by 9 feet 3 inches long.
Front door: Fiberglass, from Westcoast Prehung Doors, painted Sharp Cheddar (2017-20) by Benjamin Moore; 48-inch long stainless steel handle from Provence Sinks & Hardware
Exterior siding: The exterior mixes materials, colors and textures in a contemporary yet regionally appropriate way. Dark gray flat-panel metal runs vertically next to the front door, Longboard aluminum in Dark Cherry wraps around the front entry, and 7-inch-wide HardiePlank lap siding covers the garage.
Overhang: A flat roof that echoes the rest of the roofline projects 10 feet 3 inches wide and 12 feet 3 inches deep over the entry, protecting visitors against Pacific Northwest storms. “We were going mostly for aesthetics, but we also wanted a large overhang at the door to provide shelter from the winter rains,” Peters says.
Approach: Poured-in-place unstained concrete pavers and loose stone lead from a driveway of the same material to the front door and front seating area. Designed more as an entry plaza than a direct route, the path invites visitors to meander on their way in. “Because the walk to the front door is not straight, visitors slow down to take in the details,” Peters says.
Each concrete paver is 4 feet long, with widths varying from 5 feet 6 inches to 10 feet 6 inches. The pavers were sealed to protect them from oil drips and surface dirt. Washed round river rock approximately 2 inches in diameter fills 4-inch gaps between the pavers. The concrete pad in front of the front door is 7 feet 3 inches wide by 9 feet 3 inches long.
Front door: Fiberglass, from Westcoast Prehung Doors, painted Sharp Cheddar (2017-20) by Benjamin Moore; 48-inch long stainless steel handle from Provence Sinks & Hardware
Exterior siding: The exterior mixes materials, colors and textures in a contemporary yet regionally appropriate way. Dark gray flat-panel metal runs vertically next to the front door, Longboard aluminum in Dark Cherry wraps around the front entry, and 7-inch-wide HardiePlank lap siding covers the garage.
Overhang: A flat roof that echoes the rest of the roofline projects 10 feet 3 inches wide and 12 feet 3 inches deep over the entry, protecting visitors against Pacific Northwest storms. “We were going mostly for aesthetics, but we also wanted a large overhang at the door to provide shelter from the winter rains,” Peters says.
Other Features
Concrete walls: Three 8-inch-thick poured-in place concrete walls frame the path from the driveway to the front door. The wall in front is 28 inches tall, the middle wall is 32 inches, and the farthest wall is 36 inches. The concrete is unstained and unsealed.
House numbers: Black metal numbers 12 inches tall were mounted 1¼ inches off the concrete wall in an inset and are uplit.
Mailbox: Wall-mounted stainless steel mailbox by Ecco (model E10), along with a Spore doorbell button (model True, color Amber), are next to the front door.
Lighting: Overhead lighting at the entry complements the uplighting on the house numbers.
Concrete walls: Three 8-inch-thick poured-in place concrete walls frame the path from the driveway to the front door. The wall in front is 28 inches tall, the middle wall is 32 inches, and the farthest wall is 36 inches. The concrete is unstained and unsealed.
House numbers: Black metal numbers 12 inches tall were mounted 1¼ inches off the concrete wall in an inset and are uplit.
Mailbox: Wall-mounted stainless steel mailbox by Ecco (model E10), along with a Spore doorbell button (model True, color Amber), are next to the front door.
Lighting: Overhead lighting at the entry complements the uplighting on the house numbers.
Planting: The front garden features low-maintenance grasses and drought-tolerant perennials that soften the concrete walls while adding some privacy to the sitting area. “We wanted a no-mow front yard that requires minimal watering or chemicals,” Peters says. The plants have filled out as they’ve matured, and she rarely has to weed, she says.
Plants shown (click photo to see the plants tagged): Paperbark maple (Acer griseum), Hubricht’s bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii), ‘Sapphire Blue’ sea holly (Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’), ‘Avalanche’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Avalanche’), ‘Xenox’ stonecrop (Sedum telephium ‘Xenox’), ‘Ascot Rainbow’ spurge (Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’), ‘Little Goldstar’ blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Little Goldstar’), blueberry (Vaccinium sp.), ‘Blue Cushion’ English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Blue Cushion’)
See 6 Yards Transformed by Losing Their Lawns
Plants shown (click photo to see the plants tagged): Paperbark maple (Acer griseum), Hubricht’s bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii), ‘Sapphire Blue’ sea holly (Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’), ‘Avalanche’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Avalanche’), ‘Xenox’ stonecrop (Sedum telephium ‘Xenox’), ‘Ascot Rainbow’ spurge (Euphorbia x martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’), ‘Little Goldstar’ blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Little Goldstar’), blueberry (Vaccinium sp.), ‘Blue Cushion’ English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Blue Cushion’)
See 6 Yards Transformed by Losing Their Lawns
Considerations: Overall, the concrete is low-maintenance, Peters says, but the pavers need to be resealed. The loose stone accumulates debris, which Peters hits with a leaf blower several times a year.
Approximate costs for materials and design plan:
Hardscape: $6,500
Planting: $2,000
Lighting: $500
Front door: $3,300
Builder: MEC Urban Developments
Draftsman: Norm Friesen
Hardscape design: Teer Co.
More
5 Bright Palettes for Front Doors
17 Ways to Increase Your Home’s Curb Appeal
Approximate costs for materials and design plan:
Hardscape: $6,500
Planting: $2,000
Lighting: $500
Front door: $3,300
Builder: MEC Urban Developments
Draftsman: Norm Friesen
Hardscape design: Teer Co.
More
5 Bright Palettes for Front Doors
17 Ways to Increase Your Home’s Curb Appeal
Designer: Homeowners Gerry and Lonna Peters, in collaboration with MEC Urban Developments, Norm Friesen and Teer Landscape Co.
Location: Langley, a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Homeowners Gerry and Lonna Peters worked in collaboration with MEC Urban Developments to design and build this new home on a third-acre infill lot. “Our house is unique to the neighborhood, and we didn’t want to have it stand out in a negative way,” Lonna Peters says. “We kept exterior colors subdued and preserved a very large cedar tree and a rhododendron in the front yard to give a nod to the overall style and feel of the area.”